Spurs appointing Roberto De Zerbi in a relegation battle underlined how there are almost no reliable Premier League firefighters anymore.<\/p>\n
De Zerbi was \u2018cancelled\u2019 all the way to a five-year, \u00a360m contract<\/a> to replace Igor Tudor and take over a Spurs side down in 17th, a point clear of the bottom three.<\/p>\n There were calls for Sean Dyche to be parachuted in, or for Harry Redknapp to take his first coaching role in nine years to save his former club.<\/p>\n But even those two managers, often cited among the proven top-flight firefighters who can rescue panicking clubs by Sorting Out The Defence and restoring ketchup to the menu, have Premier League relegations on their CV.<\/p>\n All the traditional options do: your Allardyces, your Hodgsons, the Pulis\u2019 of this world. They have either been in charge of a Premier League club at the time of their drop into the Championship, or been involved at some point in a relegation season.<\/p>\n These are the only living managers who have taken over a Premier League club within five points of the relegation zone in the new year, and never suffered relegation as a coach in England\u2019s top flight. The pool is hilariously shallow.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Oliver Glasner<\/p>\n Club: Crystal Palace<\/p>\n Date of appointment: February 19, 2024<\/p>\n Games left: 13<\/p>\n Position upon appointment: 15th, five points clear of relegation<\/p>\n Position at end of season: 10th, 23 points clear of relegation<\/p>\n The stroll to safety was a precursor to the first piece of silverware in Palace\u2019s entire history<\/a> and a European campaign which could yet deliver another trophy, even if it has felt throughout their two-year union that Glasner considers himself to be the settler rather than the puncher.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Frank Lampard<\/p>\n Club: Everton<\/p>\n Date of appointment: January 31, 2022<\/p>\n Games left: 18<\/p>\n Position upon appointment: 16th, four points clear of relegation<\/p>\n Position at end of season: 16th, four points clear of relegation<\/p>\n Having successfully stood still after inheriting Rafael Benitez\u2019s mess at Goodison Park, Lampard befell the same fate as a great many of these firefighters in being engulfed by the flames the following season.<\/p>\n A reminder that going from 16th and four points clear of relegation to 16th and four points clear of relegation was sold as a \u2018miracle\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Francesco Guidolin<\/p>\n Club: Swansea<\/p>\n Date of appointment: January 18, 2016<\/p>\n Games left: 16<\/p>\n Position upon appointment: 17th, one point clear of relegation<\/p>\n Position at end of season: 12th, 10 points clear of relegation<\/p>\n It is faintly weird that Guidolin has not worked in any managerial capacity whatsoever since being sacked by Swansea almost a decade ago, with the Welsh side still outside the relegation zone by the time of his demise.<\/p>\n Perhaps the shame of being replaced by Bob Bradley forced the Italian into an unannounced retirement.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Dick Advocaat<\/p>\n Club: Sunderland<\/p>\n Date of appointment:\u00a0March 17, 2015<\/p>\n Games left: 9<\/p>\n Position upon appointment: 17th, one point clear of relegation<\/p>\n Position at end of season: 16th, three points clear of relegation<\/p>\n For three years, Sunderland basically new-manager-bounced their way through a series of relegation battles, only actually succumbing to the drop when they gave someone a full season.<\/p>\n Advocaat slotted into the middle of that sequence, snugly between Gus Poyet (took over in October 2013) and Sam Allardyce (relegated with West Brom and Leeds).<\/p>\n The Dutchman kept the Black Cats up, then resigned on the same day Liverpool sacked Brendan Rodgers because he couldn\u2019t be particularly bothered with doing it all over again<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Paolo Di Canio<\/p>\n Club: Sunderland<\/p>\n Date of appointment: March 31, 2013<\/p>\n Games left: 7<\/p>\n Position upon appointment: 16th, one point clear of relegation<\/p>\n Position at end of season: 17th, three points clear of relegation<\/p>\n Di Canio was eventually and inevitably dragged out of the Stadium of Light rather than leaving of his own accord. But a victory at St James\u2019 Park forever secured his reputation as a Sunderland hero.<\/p>\n The Italian has not managed since, which is best for everyone really.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Mauricio Pochettino<\/p>\n Club: Southampton<\/p>\n Date of appointment: January 18, 2013<\/p>\n Games left: 16<\/p>\n Position upon appointment: 15th, three points clear of relegation<\/p>\n Position at end of season: 14th, five points clear of relegation<\/p>\n It was a ruthless decision<\/a> but an undeniably brilliant and transformative one not just for Southampton but in terms of the Premier League as a whole. There is indeed only one Nigel Adkins, but Pochettino represented a substantial upgrade from relegation battles to European tilts.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Pepe Mel<\/p>\n Club: West Brom<\/p>\n Date of appointment: January 9, 2013<\/p>\n Games left: 18<\/p>\n Position upon appointment: 14th, four points clear of relegation<\/p>\n Position at end of season: 17th, three points clear of relegation<\/p>\n An absolute Sporcle stumbling block of the highest order.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Lawrie Sanchez<\/p>\n Club: Fulham<\/p>\n Date of appointment: April 11, 2007<\/p>\n Games left: 5<\/p>\n Position upon appointment: 15th, four points clear of relegation<\/p>\n Position at end of season: 16th, one point clear of relegation<\/p>\n